Great news for graduates – job prospects for students reach 10-year high in 2015

According to the findings of a new study, the very first wave of students to have paid higher tuition fees will graduate into the strongest job market in the UK for 10 years.

The study was carried out by High Fliers Research, an independent market research company which specialises in graduate and student recruitment. Its researchers found that prospects for graduates have reached a record high, with over four-fifth of the leading graduate recruiters in the UK already offering or soon to launch paid work experience schemes. These are available for current students, as well as those who have recently graduated.

Taking on work placements, according to the research, seems to be the best way for students to secure employment after they graduate from university. The findings showed that a third of jobs were offered to graduates who had undertaken work experience, internships or apprenticeships at their chosen firm. Around half of recruiters said that candidates with no work experience at all had “little or no chance” of receiving a job offer, emphasising the growing importance of experience alongside high-level degree qualifications.

The study also found that:

Over 13,000 paid work experience places will be made available this year – an unprecedented amount

The number of available graduate jobs is predicted to increase by 8% in 2015 – a similar rise to 2014’s figures and the third year in a row that graduate vacancies have risen

Two-thirds of companies are offering paid internships in the summer holidays to students in their final year

Half of companies make industrial placements available as a fixed part of university degree courses

Commenting to BBC News on the very positive findings of the High Fliers Research both to students, businesses and to the UK economy as a whole, Universities Minister Greg Clark said:

“Confidence in the economy continues to grow, and this is reflected in the fact that Britain’s top companies will recruit more graduates this year than they have for a decade.

“This report will be warmly welcomed by the record number of students who started university this year and highlights how a degree remains one of the best routes into a rewarding career.”

The fact that the UK job market is now a very buoyant and strong one for graduates could not be better timed, as it happens just as the first wave of students to pay the new higher tuition fees will leave university. The employment prospects available to new graduates should hopefully take some of the sting out of the new higher fees.

Interested in graduate recruitment? Speak to SOLOS

If your organisation is interested in recruiting the UK’s brightest and most talented graduates, or you are a student or graduate wanting to take that first step into your new career, SOLOS Consultants can help. Our specialist team have vast experience in graduate recruitment, and we understand just how important it is to nurture and develop individuals who could be the future of your company.